To A World Beyond
by MasterYuu x PetToki
Summary: Ever wish you could go into the Anime world? Follow two best friends as they transport themselves across a universe of Anime and get themselves into all sorts of mayhem! With them, the fun never ends!
1. To a World Beyond: Intro

Kat: Back! *laughs* Your computer froze again?

Me: Yep. In the course of your absence, my computer froze about three times. It was quite the struggle between human and machine. I still won though, so hah! In your face computer!

Kat: *laughs* Let's play!

Me: *gives a quizzical look* Play what?

Kat: Role play! Like make a story!

Me: Hm….Let's see…..What can my ingenious mind come up with this time? There are so many options….

Kat: What kind of story should we play?

Me: Well….

Sound confusing? Are you lost? You should be. This isn't a story. This is an excerpt of an AIM conversation between my best friend Katherine Martinez (a.k.a Kat, a.k.a Pet Toki) and I. One uneventful summer day, the both of us at a loss for what to do, we decided to "role play," if you will. We began to fabricate a story that would take us almost all our high school years to finish and proceeded well into our summer before college in wrapping things up. An odd mixture of back and forth conversation and quick narration, our creation isn't the standard story, but we enjoyed making it so much that we decided to present it as one. We employed a number of characters from outside sources and so before we begin, we'd like to give a quick acknowledgment to the following shows and video games:

Bleach D-Gray man The Final Fantasy series

Gravitation Kingdom Hearts Kare Kano: his and her circumstances

Naruto Samurai Deeper Kyo Digimon (season Four)

If we have failed to acknowledge any corporate party, we humbly ask for forgiveness and implore to not be sued. So to make things clear, characters from the mentioned shows will appear throughout the story and in some cases, are prevalent throughout the entire tale. We have taken these characters, molded them to fit our story and have altered their personalities as we pleased. As a result, many are not represented as they would be in their original settings. Nevertheless, I sincerely hope you enjoy our story. It is confusing and strange, but it is ours. Have fun reading!

-Stephanie Ramos (a.k.a Master Yuu)

To the non-corporate parties:

Primarily the work of Kat and I, our story received the aid of two others: Natasha Vargas, a dear friend in our high school class, and Nyna Martinez, Kat's sister. Both characters all on their own, they brought their personalities to the table and participated in our work, interacting in our make-believe world, delighting in our fictitious situations. So, thank you. You two were wonderful and we enjoyed making our story with you.

To the reader:

Because this story is derived from a conversation, the narration for the better part of the story is in a second person point of view. Kat is addressed as "you" because she was the person I was "speaking to." In the instance with Natasha, the same is done, only "you" at that point of the story refers to Natasha, not Kat. Furthermore, because I was the primary author of the story, my "actions" are the basis of the story and every other person's "actions" are a response to my actions. On a different note, you may be concerned with the condition of the chapters. Because our story is so vastly long, we add it in sections, building each world until we leave it and proceed onto the next one. There are five worlds in our story, each with its own tale, and so if you happen to encounter what my dearest friend Toki calls so fondly a "cliff hanger," be assured that there will be more. The chapter only ends when we leave a world, and the story only ends when we have visited five worlds in total. As for an indication when the story ends on the fifth and final chapter, there is none, but rather, only an assurance that you will know when the story has reached its closing.


	2. To a World Beyond: World 1

*I stand in the middle of a suspended bridge before a metal pillar; the pillar, a sort of safe encased by thick, impenetrable glass, houses a small box in its center; it is illuminated from the inside and the box glows from the overhead light; upon the pillar, outside the glass on the metal itself, is a small key pad with small, square buttons, each with a designated number; frowning, my eyes intent, I eye the keypad; donned in white garments, my hair picked up off my back in a long ponytail, I stand, clutching my elbows; unexpectedly, you announce your presence, the sound of your boots echoing upon the metal bridge; I turn, glance back at you, give a smile, and then return my gaze to the pillar's keypad; I step forward, reach out and dance my fingers upon the keys, pressing a combination of numbers; with a whoosh, the glass slides and disappears into the metal pillar, exposing the small box; I take it in my hands and you step forward, your eyes wide*

Me: *holding the box before me, I turn to you, grinning* This is it, Kat. The prototype for the new time machine. Isn't it beautiful?

*the time machine is small and slick, a rounded box made of black metal with colored buttons upon one face; I hold it gingerly in my hands; turning it over, I locate a small, nearly flat red switch; I press it and the box comes to life, a steady hum reverberating from its core*

Me: *glances up at you and smiles* Is there anywhere you'd like to go?

*you gaze at me, stunned; frowning, you begin to think hard, your brow furrowing; suddenly, you brighten, a large smile taking over you*

Kat: How about we jump into the anime world?

Me: *grins* You and your anime. *turns the box back up to the face with the buttons; holds the box towards you* I don't believe there is an anime world, but we can try. I'm sure we'll find somewhere out there that we'll like. Why don't you be my guest? Press a button.

*you glance at me and then look at the time machine, your gaze flickering over the many buttons; finally, your eyes rest on a button in the center; it is nearly flat, just barely protruding from the gleaming surface of the time machine, and is a glowing, dark blue; firmly, you press it and unexpectedly, the world shifts about us; everything feels as if it is being turned upside down and all the colors fade, blending, meshing until suddenly, we find ourselves in an entirely different room; the room is dark, just barely lit by moonlight that is streaming in through an open window; before us, not more than a couple of feet away, are two men, both puzzled, their conversation interrupted; standing before a bed, they gaze at us, taken aback entirely; one of them, the taller of the two, has golden hair and golden, almond shaped eyes; his clothes, dashing office apparel, clash greatly with his companion's, who simply wears a large T-shirt and rumpled shorts that end just above the knees; mostly a boy, the unkempt man is short and has bright pink hair and deep blue eyes; I grin and you brighten with recognition*

Kat: *gasps*

Me: Eiri Yuki and Shuichi Shindo. Hah. What luck.

Yuki: What the hell?

Kat: *looks at you*

Me: *smiling widely*

Shuichi: *stunned, his wide blue eyes somewhat fearful* Yuki….Who are these people?

*you step forward, mesmerized, your eyes upon their pale, beautiful faces; both look completely at a loss as you move towards them*

Kat: *reaches out to touch Yuki* Wow….Are they real?

Yuki: *with a swift, curt movement, he grabs your hand just before it touches his chest; he appears instantly angered, a reaction derived from his confusion* Yes, we are, and I am certainly not someone you can touch so nonchalantly. *releases your hand only to be unexpectedly knocked over be me; throwing myself onto him, he falls over, crashing to the floor*

Me: Yay! *eyes bright and glittering mischievously, I sit upon Yuki who is too stunned to react; glances back at you, grinning* Kat! Let's take Yuki home with us!

Yuki: *starts; Shuichi gasps*

Kat: *grins* Hehe, alright! Good thing I brought duct tape!

*grinning ear to ear, you pulls out a small, compact roll of duct tape; it flashes when you hold it in your hands and suddenly expands, turning into a larger roll; your feet spread, you pull out the tape, the crackle sounding as it is split from the roll, and hold it before you, ready to use it*

Me: *as Yuki begins to struggle, I proceed to restrain him, roughly pinning him down with my knees* We'll start a collection of anime men we like. *gazing at Yuki, grinning devilishly* You'll be our first asset. *suddenly turns Yuki over, wrenching his hands behind his back, using knees to pin him flat upon his stomach*

Yuki: *struggling, frantic, angry, he attempts to catch sight of Shuichi; yelling* What the hell? Shuichi, why are you just standing there? Get this girl off of me!

*you glance at Shuichi who seems frozen with fear; he meets your gaze, and then glances at the glowing tape in your hands, his eyes widening; the technology, as made obvious by his expression, is unfamiliar to him*

Kat: Hey, do we take Shuichi too?

Me: *still struggling with a squirming Yuki, replies without looking over shoulder* Sure. I always thought he was adorable.

Kat: *smiles and looks at Shuichi; glomps him, knocking him over, and quickly ties his hands together*

*unexpectedly, a man with brown-auburn hair appears in the open doorway; wearing casual clothing, his hair tied up in a messy manner, he appears ready for bed, a compact book tucked beneath one arm*

Shuichi: *cries out from the floor, his hands tied firmly behind his back* Hiro!

Hiro: *taken a back, his brow knotted* What's going on…?

Me: *glances up at Hiro, eyes gleaming; having effectively restrained Yuki, points at the free man, grinning* Get him too, Kat! Hiro is hot!

Kat: *yelling, excited* I forgot about Hiro!

*you leave Shuichi, taking off, racing towards the still shocked man; Hiro, frozen in place, his body turned ridged, drops his book*

Kat: Shot gun on Hiro!

Hiro: *attempts to turn around a second before you collide into him, preparing to run*

Kat: Oh no you don't! *tackles Hiro, knocking him to the ground in the hall way* Hehe, gotcha!

Me: *stands, having tied Yuki up, and rips off a piece of duct tape from my own roll; places the piece upon Yuki's lips, using fingers to create a firm seal; stands straight, triumphant; glances back and forth between Yuki and Shuichi, delighted* Two pieces for our collection with a third to boot! We've just started and already we're doing well!

*you glance at me, averting your eyes from Hiro; you place a thoughtful finger to your chin, tapping it lightly against your skin*

Kat: Hmmm….maybe we should look around for more to take home.

Me: *laughs, hands on hips* You've really taken to this idea, haven't you? *when you grin, I laugh again; begins to take in surroundings; the room is actually quiet messy, purely a boy's room with posters tacked upon the walls; clothes, shoes, and music sheets are strewn about the room and the sheets upon the bed are rumpled, almost as if its inhabitant had risen for nightly affairs*We still need something to carry them in. *glances at you and grins* Better watch out. Our catch is trying to get away. *from beneath you, Hiro moves, his hands grasping desperately at the carpet beneath him; even with you firmly seated upon him, pinning him down, he still manages to move*

Kat: Oh no you don't!

*quickly, you push him down and with a couple of quick motions, he is restrained and tied; you stand, brushing your hands upon your pants and move over to me, proposing to lock up the men in the home while we browse for more*

Me: *grins and glances out the open window; catches sight of an unexpected vehicle *How about a big house on wheels? *somewhat distracted, you don't hear me and I mutter to myself* Nevermind. A house on wheels might be a bit too conspicuous. *you hear my muted statement and your eyes brighten*

Kat: Good idea! We can use an Rv!

Me: *blinks* Wait. You actually think my idea is good? I thought it would be too much.*you pause for a moment, frowning with thought*

Kat: Hm…Which idea should we go with?

Me: *smiles* You decide this time. *for a moment, you remain silent*

Kat: I think we should go with the Rv.

Me: *grins* The house on wheels? Okie-dokie. *unzips a pocket from white cloak and pulls put a pair of clippers* Time to hot wire!

*no less than thirty minutes later, we are cruising the streets of what we come to discover is Modern day Japan; having belonged to a post-modern world, we marvel at objects that we have only read about in text books; large sky scrapers tower over us, much like in our cities, but they are not the standard white we are used to; instead, they are a multitude of colors; in fact, color is everywhere from the reflection of light in the puddles near gutters to the neon signs hanging over our heads; we turn into a steet and suddenly, the colors disappear; it is a dark street, one barren of business with only street lights to illuminate it; beneath one street light, a group of discreet men are in a ring, all of them dressed in black; two men are in the center, fighting, each wielding swords against one another; unexpectedly, you cry out and point at one of the two men fighting*

Kat: Wait! I think I see your Kyo!

Me: *calmly driving, doesn't even bother to glance at the men gathered beneath the street lamp; drives past them* That can't be him. He's wearing a business suit. *you begin jumping up and down in your seat, and I brake to glance at you quizzically; without pausing, you throw open the passenger door and glance back at the crowd of men*

Kat: Oh! It looks like him!

Me: *purses lips with thought; glances up, sorting out conjectures* If Kyo…*grins* If Kyo, my favorite anime character, was in this world….He would most likely be affiliated with a corrupt or criminal organization. *suddenly, you spring from your seat and land in the gravel outside, jumping up and down*

Kat: *moves back towards Rv, excited* Then it is him!

*you leap in and still unsure, I drive backwards, braking before the crowd of men; I gaze at one of the two fighting men, the one without a jacket; wearing a flannel white shirt and black slacks, his deep brown, short hair gleams in the light; he moves swiftly, his tan skin taunt with muscle, his eyes flickering; though his eyes are intense, he has a wicked smile upon his face, one that echoes blood lust*

Me: *parks the Rv, gazing at the man; lets out a squeal of delight; runs to the back of the Rv and opens a closet, revealing the location of Yuki, Shuichi, and Hiro; smiles at them and glances up at a shelf above their heads; grabs a fish net and then closes the door upon the three of them, ignoring their muffled protests; moves back towards you, grinning; extends net before self* Let's go bag up my Kyo.

Kat: Um…Don't you think we're going to need some protection? He has a sword and he won't come easy like the others.

Me: Hm…*frowns, searching the crowd; latches net onto pants and suddenly jumps out of the Rv, knocking down a man on the outer edge of the ring; he falls, crumpling beneath my weight and I rise upon him, using him as a stand; I punch a man near me, a short, somewhat scrawny man, and take his sword, a long thin rapier; you soon follow suit and obtain a crow bar, a wide, heavy one with a curved, jagged head; on tip toe, you glance over the heads of a distracted, blood thirsty crowd and attempt to catch sight of the other man Kyo is fighting; he is a tall man of slender build, one with a fierce gaze; his long black hair is tied up and elegantly trails behind him as he moves; he is dressed entirely in a black suit, his flannel shirt white and simple; your eyes widen with recognition; still, you can't believe it's him*

Kat: Kanda?

Me: *smiles* Oh, he's cute.*grins* Or should I say hot? Hot Kanda! *laughs* His name so reminds me of a panda…

Kat: Hehehe! Shot gun on my new lover, Kanda! *grins* He's going to be my panda…

Me: *swiping rapier at side, crouches* Okay, I've seen enough. Time for capture. *you glance at me, puzzled suddenly*

Kat: Why would Kanda be fighting Kyo?

Me: Who knows? *grins, gearing self for battle* All I know is that I want them added to our collection. *glances at rapier and strokes it fondly* Are you ready for battle, baby? *you glance at me, puzzled; suddenly, I grab onto the man before me, use him as a spring and leap over the crowd, crying out in mid air* Kyo! *both Kyo and Kanda pause, their swords held in mid air and glance at me, taken aback; I land, swiping out my leg in the circle created by the crowd and flash out my rapier; I grin hungrily* You're mine. *the crowd, excited at the prospect of seeing a woman battle, roars and you leap out after me, landing beside me, bringing your crow bar out before you; you grin, adrenaline pumping through your veins, the crowd's cheers elevating you*

Kat: Let's do this!

Me: *waves sword in an arc and then rushes forward, running at full pace towards Kyo; Kanda, however, launches himself out at me and swinging his blade, he aims for me; you, however, rush forward and deflect his blow, knocking him back into men within the crowd; when he emerges, he flings off his jacket, furious and then rushes at you, his sword held high; having my path way cleared, I side step and then turn, bringing myself before Kyo; he grins, his katana behind him, and rushes at me, colliding his sword with mine; we stand for a moment, our swords pushing against one another, when he leans forward, his face inches from mine; his red eyes glow with menacingly; he smirks, taunting*

Kyo: So you think you can take me on? You won't even last a minute.

*I return his smirk and suddenly push his sword back, the metal of our blades quickly sliding away from one another; then I rush back at him and we erupt into a full-fledged battle, our swords clashing almost every second; Kanda, meanwhile, having recovered, swipes at you furiously with his blade; evading every attack, you dodge and roll under him, between his legs; quickly, just as you stop behind him, you reach up and slam your fist into his backside, knocking him to the floor; without a pause, you saddle him and jerk his neck back with the crowbar, using it as a bar to render him incapable of fighting back; immediately afterwards, you kick his sword away; just as you begin to restrain Kanda, I dodge a blow that would have taken my head and using a low vantage point, I kick up dust into a stunned Kyo's eyes; blinded, he rears back, his hand over his eyes and bumps into a man in the crowd; the collision disarms him, stripping him of his katana and grinning, I take advantage and throw the net over him, effectively capturing him*

Me: *grins* Easy as pie.

Kyo: *his eyes pure red, he blinks and grins* Such a cheap trick. *suddenly, a black hole appears beneath Kyo and he begins to slide into the floor, melting into the black hole; smirks* You haven't won yet. *then, he is gone and the hole disappears, swallowing him whole; you gaze over at me, astonished*

Kat: What? That's impossible! Where'd he go?

*for a moment, you loosen your grip on Kanda; your arms loosen as you examine the place where he had been standing and your knees slip off of Kanda's body as you peer at me, incredulous; dramatically, I began to rave*

Me: Gah! Kyo! My Kyo is gone! And he left his sword behind, too! *grabs katana and begins to stroke it affectionately* It's okay, baby. I'll take care of you. *looks at you quizzically* Something wrong there, pet Toki? *you blink, taken aback*

Kat: What? No. Why?

Me: *cocks an eyebrow, still cuddling the katana* You're ridding air.

*you blink and then glance down between your legs where Kanda should be; Kanda is gone; totally stunned, you glance around at a quickly thinning crowd*

Kat: Uhh….Where's Kanda?

*the crowd begins to mutter in unison and comments about "cheap fights" and "lousy women" begin to fly about; the crowd finally departs, having lost all interest; not even the stragglers remain; you stand, throwing your crow bar onto the concrete, not caring that it clangs and cracks the asphalt*

Kat: Damn it! We lost them!

Me: *looks at you aloofly* I can't believe you lost Kanda. He was your guy. You should have been looking after him. Bad Kat.

Kat: *growls* Hey, you're the one who was distracting me! And look who's talking! Yours got away too!

Me: *my serious, cold face breaks into a large grin; laughs* No need to be so serious! *waves hand dismissively, urging you to calm down* We'll find them eventually. Besides, Kyo left his sword here. He'll come back for it soon enough. *you lighten, your balled fists unclenching; you sigh and smile*

Kat: True, true. *suddenly becomes puzzled* But how did Kanda get away?

Me: *flips hair and shifts Kyo's katana to right hand with the rapier; in the light, the Katana's silver blade gleams brilliantly * Who knows? Maybe he's actually resourceful? Anyways, you would know him more than I do. You like him more, after all. *your finger to your lip, you mutter to yourself, your brow furrowed*

Kat: I tied him up…I took his sword away from him so he couldn't get away….

Me: *smiles and offers a friendly conjecture* Maybe you didn't tie him up tightly enough? *suddenly grins and with mocking sympathy* I mean, everyone makes mistakes. *you flush red and snap at me*

Kat: Shut up!

Me: *laughs; unable to suppress a smile yourself, you sigh and pick up Kanda's sword, a katana just like Kyo's, though one less elegantly designed*

Kat: Okay, well let's get out of here. Maybe we'll find them around town.

Me: *moves over to you, smiling, the rapier in one hand and Kyo's katana over my shoulder* Yep. Time to skedaddle. *you glance at me quizzically, a smile on your face*

Kat: *laughs* Skedaddle? Who says that anymore?

Me: I do. *smiles* I thought the word appropriate for the moment. *you laugh again, smiling from ear to ear*

Kat: So shall we go?

Me: *grins, waving hand onward, imploring a direction*Yes, yes. Lead the way, pet Toki!

*you skip ahead, just before me, and we load ourselves onto the Rv, throwing the swords onto the floor behind our seat; settling yourself in the driver's seat, you start the engine as I close the passenger door, having seated myself as well; we drive for a few miles, the radio blasting, our spirits cheerful, when unexpectedly we come into a district filled with restaurant stands and throngs of shopping people; you slow down, nearly coming to a stop and place a hand over your grumbling stomach; you glance at me*

Kat: Um…You hungry?

Me: *my sights already set on something, I point out the open window, grinning* Yum, ramen! Real Japanese ramen! Let's stop here! *gladly, you park in a nearby parking space, shutting off the radio and the engine; you turn to me and just happen to glance at the closet where Hiro, Yuki, and Shuichi are stored; you glance at me, concerned*

Kat: Um…Should we feed them?

Me: *purses lips, seemingly disdained* Yeah, I guess. *stands and flicks on a light switch in the Rv's living quarters; opens closet, allowing the light to shine down on the three men; all three of them stiffen and sit up, instantly attentive; I grin* Let's not feed Shuichi, though. He's getting too fat. *Shuichi's mouth drops open; he is stunned by the remark; you peer back at us, leaning over your seat*

Kat: *laughs* Aw…Let's not be mean now.

Shuichi: *suddenly retorts back at me, late* What? For your information, I weigh only one hundred and twenty five pounds!

Hiro: *unexpectedly chimes in, a grin on his face* With that body? Please…..

Yuki: *glances at Shuichi aloofly, his eyes flickering over Shuichi's body* They're right, Shuichi. You have gained weight.

Kat: *laughs* Okay, only a little for Shuichi then.

Shuichi: *gasps and looks downtrodden*

Me: *crouching down to their eye level, I speak to Shuichi kindly, smiling sweetly* You know Shuichi, you still look incredibly cute. *you laugh and leave your seat, moving over to stand behind me; you grin*

Kat: I agree!

Shuichi: *becomes red in the face, both from embarrassment and agitation; he yells at me* Get out of here, you witch! *your eyes widen with surprise; you smile, incredulous*

Kat: Ouch. You gonna take that, Steph?

Me: *not fazed at all, I laugh, throwing my head back, my hair swishing about my shoulders* Is that the best you got? I've heard of preschoolers with better insults.

Hiro: *looking at Shuichi in disparagement*Yeah, Shuichi. That was pretty lame.

Yuki: *frowning deeply, his eyes narrowed* Your insults suck just about as much as your music does, Shuichi.

Shuichi: *severely agitated, he yells loudly*Just whose side are you guys on anyways? You do remember we were kidnapped by them, right?

*everyone laughs and Shuichi sinks into a glum silence; even the stiff Yuki manages a chuckle, watching Shuichi as he glares up at him from the corner of his eye*

Me: *sighs ad wipes away a tear* Geeze, I'm glad we kinapped you guys. You're all hilarious.

Hiro: *smiles broadly, suddenly wearing an amorous expression upon his features* Anything for you, my darlings…*Shuichi turns and gapes at Hiro, stunned, but Hiro ignores him and continues exhibiting admiration for us; you grin, crying out*

Kat: Gah! I love Hiro! *you turn, skipping, and taking the keys from the ignition, you open the passenger door and look back at the guys* See you later, guys! We're going to get you some food so no escaping until then, okay? *jumps out of the Rv*

Me* smiles, waves at guys, decides to not close the closet door and heads after you, sliding out the open passenger door; closing it behind me, I extend my hand and you place the keys in my open plam; after automatically locking the Rv, we both turn and gaze at the flooded district before us; people move to and fro, weaving amongst one another, most with baskets in hand, ready to purchase merchandise*

Kat: *looks around* So what should we get? It all looks yummy!

Me: *scrutinizing the stands* Let's worry about ourselves first. After all, the guys are men. They can starve a little longer than we can.

Kat: *laughs* True, true.

Me: *looks at you, smiling* Hey, I always wanted to try authentic ramen. Why don't we go get a bowl? *you nod your head, returning my smile*

Kat: Sounds delicious. Let's get some.

*you follow me to the nearest stand; it is a wooden stand, one with a striped white and green curtain over hanging the entrance; visible aromas waft through the air and the sound of a subtle sizzling fills our ears*

Me: *pushes aside curtain, stepping onto the elevated wooden floor; brightening, cheeks flushing with delight* Wow, it smells so good! *you jump up the elevated floor, excited*

Kat: Sure does. Gah, I can't wait to try some!

*suddenly, a delightful thought parallel to trying good food flashes through your mind; you smile, your cheeks turning red; you turn to me, beaming*

Kat: Gah! I can't wait to bump into Ichigo so I can add him to our collection!

Me: *watches as the cook expertly slices vegetables and meats upon a wooden board on the counter; without glancing at you* Ichigo? Your favorite? Where do you think he would be? *I move to seat myself upon one of the many stools before the counter; I remove my trench coat, revealing a slim fitting sleeveless white shirt; with my form fitting white pants and white boots, I am entirely dressed in white; you are an exception, but barely; you wear black pants and black boots; however, your boots have white accents and shoelaces and you sport a white zip-up, shoot-sleeved hoodie; in the environment we currently reside in, we look wild, very much like the occasional visual kei enthusiasts, save for our hair which lacks the strange hues present with the style; my hair brown and your hair black, we are considerably normal; absentminded, you move to sit beside me *

Kat: Hmm…If I were Ichigo, where would I be?

Cook: *interrupts your train of thought, smiling as he calls out to us* So what will it be today, ladies?

Me: *returns his smile, leaning forward, resting arms on counter top* I would like your best soup please, preferably something with shrimp and crab in it, and as for my friend…*I trail off, glancing at you; the cook eyes you as well, his face blank*

Kat: Uh….I'll have…..

*your drift off into a silence, staring dumbly at the board tacked behind the cook; it is a list of all the various meals offered at the stand, but it is in kanji; you can't read any of it*

Me: *taps you on your shoulder, bringing you back from space; you glance at me, at a loss* What do you want, Kat?

Unknown: How about the house special?

*having been spoken to, we search for the unknown voice; at the far end of the counter on your side, a man is seated, his face hidden by a newspaper; you blink, staring at the hidden man*

Kat: Wonder who that is…

Me: *slides off of stool and walks past you over to man; stopping beside him, gently taps him upon his shoulder* Um, excuse me, sir? Did you say something just now? *the man pulls down his newspaper, folding it before him, and lays it neatly upon the counter; he turns to me and I step back, my hands clasped behind me; he has silver hair, tanned skin, and a black mesh mask over his mouth; a black head band is pulled over one eye, a plate of silver with a symbol of a leaf sown into the cloth; wearing a black suit with a white collared shirt underneath, he looks very unlike the ninja we know him to be; the only other strange apparel he dons that could peg him as anything else but a businessman is gloves, both of which are black and fingerless; your mouth drops open as a gasp escapes your lips*

Cook: *smiles widely* Ah, Kakashi! I thought it was you! *chuckles and turns back to a pot of boiling noodles; mutters to self* Such a prankster.

Me: *barely reacting to Kakashi, a famous anime character in our world, I smile and extend a hand out for a shake*Hello, mister Kakashi. It's nice to meet you. *

Kakashi: *his eyes smiling, he takes my small hand in his large one, his thick fingers enveloping my small, thin ones* The pleasure is mine. *he releases my hand as you leave your seat to stand beside me; you are smiling from ear to ear*

Me: *glances at you; placing a hand to chest, bows slightly, proceeding with introductions*Well, my name is Stephanie and this is my best friend, Kat.

Kakashi: *smiles at you, the expression mostly present in his eyes, though you can see the corners of his lips move upward beneath the mesh mask* It's nice to meet such beautiful girls, and foreign ones, too. *indicates to the seat beside him and implores us to sit* You're not from around here, are you?

Me: *graciously takes his offer, seating self beside him; you sit next to me, gazing over at Kakashi, your eyes gleaming; Kakashi, having turned around to face the counter, has angled his body towards us and appears wholly interested in our response* No, we're not. We're here on business. *you nod, smiling*

Kat: Yup. Important business.

*suddenly, bowls are placed before us, both of them steaming and wafting delicious scents of shrimp, crab, and leeks; our eyes widen with astonishment and with a smile, the cook hands us wooden chopsticks; gingerly, we break them apart, and with wide eyes, we stir our noodles, our mouths watering; Kakashi meanwhile watches us, smiling*

Kakashi: *moving an elbow onto the counter, he pushes his newspaper aside* If you'd like, I could pay for you. After all, you're new to this area. Everything should be a delight to you here.

Me: *glances at Kakashi, astonished; places hand to chest in a dainty gesture*Oh, that's so incredibly kind of you! But we couldn't possibly….*glances at you, inciting you to play along with my goody-two-shoes act; I glance back at Kakashi, flashing a big, sweet smile, my shoulders raised, my arms daintily upon my lap; you smile widely too, placing your elbow upon the counter and resting your head upon your hand, allowing your long black hair to slide over your shoulder*

Kat: Oh, you really don't have to…

Kakashi: *actually appears sheepish; he rubs the back of his head and returns my smile* It's fine, really. I wouldn't mind at all. I could even buy you traditional drinks, if you'd like me to.

Me: *glances at you, giving you a big, big grin that says "milk him for all he's worth; you look away, smiling devilishly; in unison we return sweet smiles to Kakashi, our lips shining, our eyes glittering; placing a small hand upwards before my face, a cocked finger before my lips, I demurely speak, my large hazel eyes timidly gazing into his*Well, if you insist…*I suddenly brighten, my hands flying to my lap again* How about you buy yourself a drink too? That way, we can have a toast, a toast that celebrates meeting new people.* your smile brilliant, you clap your hands together lightly in merriment*

Kat: Yes, yes! A toast to meeting new people!

Kakashi: *smiling widely, his eyes glittering with enthusiasm* That's a great idea! I'll go get the drinks right now! *bidding us to stay put, he scampers off to a stand across the street; we watch him go, smiling pleasantly; with him gone, you turn to me, barely able to conceal your excitement; you bounce in your seat, speaking rapidly yet quietly*

Kat: Steph! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!

Me: *watches Kakashi for a moment before turning around to face a less hot bowl; calmly begins to eat ramen, savoring the flavor of the soup; you lean towards me, having turned to face your bowl as well, and whisper*

Kat: What do we do?

Me: *smiles and whispers back* Let's not get too excited. Remember the cook is still here. From the looks of it, both he and Kakashi are pretty close. If we act suspicious, he just might tip off Kakashi and ruin our chances of capture.

Kat: *calms down* True, true. *begins eating ramen*

*for a good while, you consume the food before you eagerly, savoring every morsel; as you near finishing your soup however, you spot a thin, long shaving of carrot; it's bright orange color instantly reminds you of Ichigo's hair; you slump a bit, crestfallen*

Kat: Goww…I still can't think of where Ichigo would be….

*just then, Kakashi returns; pushing aside the curtain with a hand holding a bottle of premium sake, he announces his arrival before moving to sit beside me once more; we gaze at him, smiling pleasantly as he settles the bottle and three glass cups upon the counter*

Kakashi: *beaming* Aren't we lucky? I was able to get the best on the market! *unexpectedly glances at you, his eyes wide* I'm sorry, did I interrupt you? *you blink, surprised he heard your last words; when you do not immediately respond, he elaborates* I thought I heard you mumble something. *you flush slightly and look into your bowl*

Kat: Well…I was just talking to Steph about a friend I'm looking for.

Kakashi: *smiles, his expression calming, and opens to sake bottle, popping the cork off* May I ask who this friend is? *hopeful, you bite your lip, your shoulders raised*

Kat: His name is….Ichigo Kurosaki….

Kakashi: *blinks; for a moment, he is silent, his eyes staring straight ahead of him; suddenly, he turns to us and smiles widely, somewhat apologetic* Sorry, I've never heard of him. *you sink into your seat, dejected; I glance at you briefly and quick to maintain the previous vigorous mood, I lean towards Kakashi, batting my eyelashes alluringly*

Me: Mister Kakashi, do you really want to drink here?

Kakashi: *taken aback, he gazes down at me, his eyes trained upon my face* Whatever do you mean?

Me: *smiles, rolling eyes to gaze at a corner, giving the appearance of great contemplation* How about we go somewhere….Oh, I don't know….private? *slowly rolls gaze back to Kakashi and widens smile, reeling him in like a helpless fish; you giggle and stand, moving over to Kakashi; playfully, you grasp him arm, tugging it gently*

Kat: Yes, let's go somewhere private!

Me: *leans back, pushing back long brown, flowing hair to reveal a slender, delicately sculpted neckline*We don't mean to be demanding, but it's much too crowded here to drink peacefully. *smiles, taking a long strand of hair; begins to curl hair with a finger; looks up at Kakashi from beneath eyelashes* My friend and I would like to have you all to ourselves. *after glancing at me, you smile and turn your gaze upon a bewildered Kakashi, turning on your child-like charm*

Kat: I agree.

Kakashi: *looks from me to you, seemingly overwhelmed; a deep blush creeping over his face, he offers tentatively* May I…May I suggest a hotel?

Me: *smiles warmly* That's a fine idea. *you grin, releasing Kakashi's arm and clasp your hands behind your back, leaning forward slightly, smiling*

Kat: Yes, that would be great.

Kakashi: *smiles at our enthusiasm and turns to the counter; nonchalantly, he throws a couple of bills onto the table, paying the check, and collecting our glasses and his, he hands one to each of us, leaving himself with one shot glass; carrying the sake bottle in the other hand, he stands and pushes the curtain aside, leaving the entrance open for us to pass through; smiling, secretly triumphant, we slide off our seats and saunter past him out into the busy street; not a second later, he takes the lead and we follow him through the crowd into a nearby district filled with hotels and classy restaurants; we find ourselves being lead into the most prestigious of the hotels, one with high gloss pillars and furnished wooden paneled floors; the doorway we enter through is open, its roof partially made from a canopy of trees, and leads directly to the front counter which is lined with elaborate golden designs; we glance around, spotting a well kept Koi pond and red Japanese lanterns hanging down from the trees, then look past the counter; two hallways lie on either side of the counter, both of which are created by paper walls; people chat jovially from behind the paper walls, their shadows apparent through the thin paper; smiling, we glance at the man positioned at the front counter; his counter more like a booth, he stands at attention wearing a uniform, a warm smile upon his face; he gives us a formal bow and smiling, he addresses Kakashi; after a brief conversation, he hands Kakashi a thin red wooden block with Kanji on it, a sort of pass for a room, and Kakashi takes it in hand; unexpectedly, he bends down and removes his shoes and standing upright again, he places them upon the counter for the man to take them; he glances back at us, acknowledging our wide eyes, and smiles warmly*

Kakashi: It is customary for people of Japan to remove their shoes before stepping into a building. If you ladies would be so kind as to….

Me: *brightens* Of course. I forgot. *smiling warmly, reaches down and unzips boots; almost simultaneously, you begin to remove your boots and we booth place them upon the counter for the man to take; exiting from behind the counter, he moves over to a shelf on his right side and places our shoes in respective cubbies; then, he returns to us, smiling warmly and unexpectedly, two servants dressed in similar uniforms come from down the halls, meeting before us; politely, they bow and after Kakashi hands one of them the red wooden block, they beckon us down one of the hallways; we follow, excited; Kakashi before us, I take your arm and whisper in your ear*

Me: Remember where your shoes are just in case we have to make a hasty escape.

Kat: *whispers back* Got it. *winks*

*we are eventually lead to a room on the second floor; one of the servants slides the red wooden block into a niche engraved into the wall beside the door and an audible click sounds; the door slowly swings open and we are allowed to peer into the room; it is beautiful; furnished much like the area surrounding the front counter, wooden panels make up the floors and the ceiling; the walls a soft cream color and deep brown wooden pillars act as support for the room; in its center, a bright red square table is placed and surrounded by four large cream pillows; unable to contain your excitement, you run and jump onto one of the pillows, sinking into its plush; you grin from ear to ear back at me as I slowly follow you and politely seat myself beside you on one of the pillows, placing my coat beside me; Kakashi, for the moment, remains at the doorway and we hear a servant's voice as he speaks to Kakashi*

Servant: Mister Kakashi, if you need anything, do not be afraid to ask. The telephone for room service is in the other room near the bed. *bows and quietly exits, closing the door*

Kat: *turns to Kakashi and cocks head to one side* Come here often, mister Kakashi? *smiles sweetly*

Kakashi: *smiles* Not really. It's rare that I meet such beautiful ladies.

Me: *glances at you, and rolls eyes discreetly; smiles at Kakashi* Mister Kakashi? *lifts empty glass* If you would please? *You glance at me and lift your glass as well*

Kakashi: *nearly jumps to pour the sake into the glass* It would be my honor. *pours until both glasses are almost entirely filled*

Me: *smiles and brings glass to glossed lips; sips delicately* Mister, Kakashi, have you ever played a drinking game?

Kakashi: *looks puzzled* I'm afraid I haven't.

Me: *looks at you mischievously* Where we live, it is customary to test a man.

Kakashi: Test... a man?

Kat: *giggles* Would you like to play? *smiles devilishly*

Me: If you do decide to play, it would only go to show that you are a worthy man in both pride and sport. *pauses; speaks in a low, sultry voice**We adore worthy men...*smiles broadly, eyes gleaming*

Kat: *goes behind Kakashi and puts arms around him* Come on, Kakashi! Let's play!

Kakashi: *blushes furiously* ...Oh, okay.

Kat: *giggles and clasps hands together* Yay!

Me: *grabs his glass and pours it full* The goal to beat is ten.

Kakashi: Ten?

Me: *smiles, holding glass out to him* Ten glasses of sake.

Kakashi: *pumps fist into air and takes the glass with his free hand, a determined look upon his face* I can do eleven!

Kat: Let the game begin! *throws hands in the air and lets out a cheer for Kakashi*

*thirty minutes later, eleven glasses have been poured and consumed; Kakashi is swaying in his seat, struggling to speak in coherent sentences*

Kakashi: *hiccups* There. Eleven gla-zzes...

Kat: *giggles* Had enough kakashi?

Me: *smiles, hands folded neatly upon lap* My, my. Mister Kakashi. Very impressive. You almost beat the record.

Kakashi: Re-cord-uh? *hiccups*

Me: Yes, the record, which is fifteen. The man who drank that many was forever held in our respects... Especially for the women.

Kat: *sits up, smiling* Ah, I remember him. *looks away, eyes dreamy* Now that's what I call a man. *looks at Kakashi and smiles*Not that I'm saying you're not one, Kakashi.

Me: *pitches in, batting eyelashes demurely* Yes, we understand if you cannot beat the record. He was, after all, an exceptional man.

Kakashi: *eyes widen; wipes mouth, and slides glass forward roughly* Pour more, my dear! I have five more glasses to drink! I intend to break that record!

*twenty minutes later*

Kakashi: *struggles to drink the last of the sixteenth drink; finishes, and suddenly collapses onto the table with a clatter; his empty cup rolls off the table and falls to the carpeted floor; unconscious, Kakashi snores loudly*

Kat: *cheerfully throws hands into the air*Yaaaayyyy! Kakashi! You beat the record! *settles back into seat and turns to you; giggles* That was fun.

Me: *looks at you, and bursts out laughing; turns to Kakashi and pokes at his shoulder* He's totally out.

Kat: *exclaims* I can't believe we knocked out Kakashi! *falls back and rolls on the floor, laughing*

Me: I can't believe he actually drank sixteen glasses. *snickers* He is a true man. *throws back head and laughs loudly*

Kat: *wipes tears away from laughter* I know! *sighs and smiles* Now what do we do from here?

Me: *blinks and sips glass of sake* Hm, I don't know. I had intended to take him along with us after we got him so drunk he couldn't stand, but I just remembered...

Kat: *blinks* Remembered what?*looks at you, puzzled*

Me: We don't have metal chains or cuff-links. We only have rope.

Kat: *pouts, crossing arms over chest* Gooooow! Aw,Man!

Me: Also, he's a ninja. It will be like child's play for him to escape from us.

Kat: True, true. Ok! Let's ditch him and find him later. We'll be prepared next time!

Me: *puts the almost full glass down; stands* Tis a shame. *sighs* Oh well. *moves closer to Kakashi, kneeling down to pat his back playfully* Goodbye, dear Kakashi! We shall meet again.

Kat: *goes to his sleeping body and gives him one last good bye hug* I shall miss you! *smiles* It was fun messing with you.

Me: *holds hair away from face like a curtain and gives Kakashi a peck on his cheek* Yes, it was.

Kat: *sighs, releasing Kakashi; he falls back onto the table with a thud* Ok, let's hurry before he wakes up or someone sees us.

Me: Yes, lets. *both exit; closing the door behind us, we walk away calmly; five minutes later, we're outside the hotel, our shoes on our feet once more*

Kat: Well that was fun. *glances back at the hotel and smiles; suddenly grasps head with both hands, crying out* Gah! We still need to feed Yuki and the others!

Me: Huh. *blinks* I had forgotten about that...

Kat: *smiles, glancing at you* Let's get them some ramen and sake.

Me: *giggles* Sake? Do we get every man we meet drunk? Terrible, terrible.

Kat: *grins* It's so fun though. Plus, it'll be like a treat for them.

Me: Aw, now you make them sound like dogs. *grins mischievously* Well, I suppose they are, seeing as they are men.

Kat: *laughs* Now, now. Not all men are dogs…*pauses* Ok, that's a lie. *laughs*

Me: *grins and looks about* Do you think the markets are still open? It's pretty late and I don't feel like cooking... *spots a Japanese convenience store and points it out* Hey, I bet they have plenty of goods there.

* automatic doors slide open as we approach the entrance; a cool gust of air breezes through our hair from the machinery above our heads as we step inside; instantly, we are met with aisles of food stacked high upon metal shelves*

Kat: Hmmmm...*looks around at the many food items* What should we get? *plucks up a bag of what looks like chips and looks it over before putting it back upon a nearby shelf*

Me: Wow. *breaths* I'm overwhelmed. All of it is labeled in Japanese... How are we supposed to find what we need?

Kat: *steps forward, hands on hips*Let's just get some ramen packages and get me some meat. I'll cook for them. I'm in the mood for cooking.*smiles*

Man: Do you need any help?

*both turn around, realizing the voice is coming from behind*

Me: *eyes widen at the sight of a tall, slender boy with bright orange hair with a gruff expression on his face*

Kat: *mouth drops open, surprised*

Me: *glances at you, catching sight of your brain dead expression* Kaaattt... *waves hand in front of your face*

Kat: *Stands in shock, speechless*...

Ichigo: My manager told me to offer you assistance. *his shoulders slumped, he looks annoyed* So, do you need it or what? *his eyes flash like daggers as he looks us over*

Kat: *remains standing, mouth gaping*

Me: *smiles warmly and moves over to stand behind you; closes your jaw for you and rests hands on your shoulders* Yes, yes we do. You see, my friend and I are foreigners. We're not from here and need some help selecting the items that we need.

Ichigo: *crosses arms over chest in disbelief; his chin juts up slightly, his expression intimidating* Really? You seem able enough to speak Japanese...

Me:*grins, unruffled* Unfortunately, we can't read it. *looks up at Ichigo; blinks and cocks head to one side, eyes somewhat taxing* Well, are you going to show us or not?

Ichigo:*sighs, uncrossing his arms* All right, tell me what you need. I'll lead you to it. *he turns away and begins to move down the aisle; I release your shoulders and move to follow him; just as I move before you, you reach out and seize my shoulder, whispering frantically*

Kat: Oh my god! I'm freaking out!

Me:*without glancing back at you, I whisper, a small smile on my face* Shh. Keep cool. *slowly, you release my shoulder*

Ichigo: *from a ways off, he calls to us, his hands on his hips, a stern expression on his face* So, are you guys just going to stand there whispering or what?

Me:*side by side, we begin walking towards him; when we're before him again, he turns away, leading us down the aisle; grins and whispers to you* He's so grumpy in person.

Kat: *still somewhat shaky, whispers and smiles back* That's my Ichigo.

Ichigo: *looks over his shoulder, his brows furrowed, having heard his name* What? *he stops and faces us, barring our way, almost glaring down at us; at nearly six feet, he towers over us*

Kat: *waves hands dismissively, shaking head nervously* Ugh!..Nothing!

Me: *stands up straight, hands clasped behind back, and giggles* So, Kat. *glances at you* What do we need?

Ichigo: *understanding that I am referring to you, his hard brown eyes lock upon you expectantly*

Kat: *swallows and glances down at feet; slightly calmer, places finger on chin, thinking* Hmmmm...Well….I'll need some seasonings and …. some soy sauce….Ummm….

Ichigo: *without waiting for you to finish, he looks away, and begins once again down the aisle, signaling for us to follow him; we comply wordlessly*

Kat: *glances at you and whispers, brow furrowed from anxiety* I didn't know Ichigo worked at a store.

Ichigo: *not paying us any mind, plucks a bottle of soy sauce off the shelf; still walking, he slows his pace and hands it over to you, gently placing it in your hands, his fingers brushing against yours*

Kat: * startled, moves hands away and accidentally drops the bottle*

* It crashes to the floor, loudly, and we all stop in our tracks to look down at the bottle's shattered remains in surprise*

Kat: *begins to panic* I'm so sorry! I-I..!

Ichigo: *makes a face, staring at the shattered soy sauce bottle*

Me:*sighs and crosses arms, closing eyes* Oh, Kat.

Kat: *face turns beet red and looks down at floor, almost at a total loss for what to do* I'm so sorry….

Ichigo: *with an exasperated facial expression, sighs and reaches over you, handing you another bottle; gruffly* Here. *his voice just a smidge lighter, but still exasperated* Please don't drop it.


End file.
